IFC Language Support for VS Code

IFC Language Tools adds language support for IFC STEP files (.ifc, .step, .stp) in Visual Studio Code. It is powered by the IFC Language Server.

For normal use, install the extension and open an IFC file. The extension automatically installs the language server version pinned by the current extension release.

Documentation

Full user documentation is available at:

https://NepomukWolf.github.io/vscode-ifc/

Install from:

• Visual Studio Code Marketplace
• Open VSX
• GitHub Releases for manual .vsix installation

Features

IFC Language Tools combines local editor support with language-server features for:

• Reading IFC files: syntax highlighting, bracket matching, semantic highlighting, hover previews, entity documentation, and derived-value hover.
• Navigation: go to definition, find references, document highlights, and a spatial Outline for IFC projects, spaces, products, breadcrumbs, and go-to-symbol.
• Validation: schema-aware diagnostics for IFC entity and attribute issues.
• Editing assistance: signature help, inlay hints, and IFC file scaffold generation.
• 3D preview: focused element preview without loading the whole model in a separate viewer.
• Large files: lightweight features remain available where possible while expensive AST-backed analysis is bounded.

Detailed feature docs:

• Hover
• Navigation
• Document Symbols
• Editing Assistance
• Inlay Hints
• Diagnostics
• 3D Preview
• Large Files

Getting Started

1. Install the extension from the Marketplace, Open VSX, or a release .vsix.
2. Open an IFC file (.ifc, .step, or .stp) in Visual Studio Code.
3. Use hover, navigation, diagnostics, Outline, and 3D preview directly in the editor.

See the Getting Started guide for detailed installation steps.

Configuration

Most users do not need to change settings. The extension manages the language server automatically.

Advanced settings are documented here:

• Configuration
• Troubleshooting

If the language server fails to start after setting a custom server path, clear ifc.server.path and run IFC: Restart Language Server.

Commands

• IFC: Download Language Server
• IFC: Restart Language Server
• IFC: Show Resolved Language Server
• IFC: Preview Element in 3D

Development

See CONTRIBUTING.md for contributor guidelines, changelog expectations, and the release process.

Install dependencies and compile the extension:

npm install
npm run compile

Then open src/extension.ts, press F5, and choose VS Code Extension Development Host.

Package a local .vsix with:

npm run package

If you are developing the language server itself, point the extension at a local build with ifc.server.path. Leave this setting empty for normal use.

Language Server

This extension is powered by the IFC Language Server.

For normal use, the extension automatically installs the language server version pinned by the current extension release. For release packaging, the extension expects platform-specific language-server assets whose names include operating-system and architecture hints such as macos-arm64, linux-x64, or windows-x64.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.